Mind Games
by nerdynovelist11
Summary: DISCONTINUED. Because I'm lame Who do you trust when your mind's being tampered with by a Digimon who seeks to destroy you? TAIORA.
1. one

**A/N: Welcome to the new and improved version of Head Games! After struggling for almost a year with writer's block and extreme loss of inspiration, watching the whole season of Digimon Adventure has made me see the light! Haha. I am back and I'm not going anywhere. Although I have discontinued Sweet Misery (sadly) because it became too confusing for me. I was having so much trouble, but I will always remember it and know that it helped me with my writing skills, so I am very sorry. But I will not delete it, because it's a part of who I am as a writer now.**

**And I will also keep up the old version of Head Games.**

**Tai, Sora, Matt, Mimi- 16**

**Joe- 17**

**Izzy- 15**

**T.K/Kari/Davis/Yolei- 14**

**Cody- 13**

**Ken- 15**

**This fic takes place during the summer.**

**Here we go!**

The Digi-Destined loved coffee. It smelled good. It tasted wonderful. It was perfect for a cold rainy day in Odaiba. The perfect thing to have while exchanging stories and making conversation. The originals, except for T.K and Kari, who had joined the new Digi-Destined were all enjoying each other's company.

It wasn't long before they seemed to pair off though. They did it automatically, although they didn't know why. Izzy and Joe were browsing eBay and laughing to themselves at the various silly things they found while Mimi bothered them to go to her favorite online shopping website. Tai, Sora, and Matt were talking about school and their lives now.

Hours later, the manager announced that they were closing up and that they'd have to leave. They picked up all of their empty coffee cups and tossed them in the trash on their way out, smiling and laughing with each other.

The manager shook his head as he flipped the open sign to closed and watched them leave. They came in once a month and did this. They came back each and every time as if it was some sort of reunion and they were never an awkward sight. They seemed as if they had an impenetrable bond; one that could never be broken.

Hugs and goodbyes were exchanged under the canopy so they wouldn't get wet. Then everyone departed. Well, except for two.

Tai Kamiya and Sora Takenouchi still stood there. Since they lived relatively close, they always walked home from the coffee outings together. That and they were the best of friends. "Shall we be on our way, miss?" Tai asked jokingly, inviting Sora to link arms with him.

"We shall." They walked through the rain linking arms. They didn't mind getting wet. They played soccer in the pouring rain as kids many times. It was all part of the fun. "It's nice that we get together once in a while, isn't it?"

"Very. It's nice to see everyone in the same place. Just like being in the digital world, except without fighting evil. Even Mimi moved back from America."

"It's great." She jumped in a puddle, splashing water up onto their jeans.

"Hey!" Tai said, although he wasn't that concerned. He was just playing around. He jumped in a bigger puddle, trying to retaliate and in the process slipped. He brought them both down into the cold water.

"Tai!" Sora laughed, and when Tai wasn't laughing with her she stopped and looked at him. He was staring at her in such a way that made her feel insecure; as if he was looking into her heart, into her soul. What did he see? The water was cold. Sora could feel her butt going numb. She wanted to get up, but couldn't bring herself too. The intensity of Tai's stare kept her there.

And then it happened. Tai's lips connected with hers. Sora felt electrified. She could have sworn she'd been struck by lightning. It was a feeling she couldn't explain. The moment was cut short when thunder roared and lightning flashed through the sky, breaking the trance between the two friends.

Tai looked into her eyes, not being able to read her expression. What had he just done? He scrambled up from the puddle, feeling weighed down by the water that had soaked into his clothes and ran in the opposite direction of his apartment building. He left a stunned Sora sitting in the puddle. She slowly got up, looking after her best friend running away from her. And eventually his tangled mess of chestnut brown hair disappeared along with the comfortable nature of their friendship. Gone.

**A/N: I see a huge improvement. Even if it was short. So was the original chapter. Ha. How about you? Let me know! Review please! Even if you are new to it, I'd be glad. Now you're along for the ride!**


	2. two

**A/N: I'm back…again! Yay! I'm totally getting back on track, and with Courage Sun by my side, I'm sure I can conquer horrific writer's block! WOO!**

**Thanks for reviewing. Glad I've improved. Hope this next chapter is to your liking as well.**

**Oh, and in this fic the whole "A Very Digi-Christmas" thing with Tai, Sora, and Matt never happened! Okay?! It does not exist!**

**Now that that (haha, two that's!) tiny detail is covered, let's continue!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Courage Sun for all of her helpful advice on starting this up. Her opinion means a lot to me. She's like my….writing associate or something.**

**Davis: Associate?! She can't even spell that!**

**Me: Where on earth did you come from?**

**Izzy: I'm not sure he's even from earth. We should run some tests! (connects wires to Davis' brain)**

**Davis: NOOOOO!!!!**

**Anyway, Davis thinks he's getting some sort of award for being basically the main focus of this chapter, aside from Sora. I wonder if he'll notice if I buy a plastic trophy from the dollar store. Haha.**

**Enjoy this chapter, because it's full of random idiotic moments and tons of rambling speeches and dialogue! **

_One Month Later…_

Sora lay on her bed in her tangled sheets, staring up at her ceiling. She felt distant from everybody. She hadn't gone to the coffee outing the day before because she didn't want to face Tai. It would have made the entire time awkward, not only for them, but for all of the Digi-Destined. She didn't want to ruin their time, so she simply just didn't go. She found herself wondering if Tai had.

She had been drowning in her misery ever since that night. She had barely gone out, except to work at her mother's flower shop and even her mom had noticed that something was off about her. She came home and would head straight to her room where she'd lay there for hours in pajamas. She knew she was wasting her summer away. She hadn't gone to tennis practice in weeks and was pretty sure she didn't have a shot in the summer competition and she hadn't gone out to the soccer fields to just play around in a while. She suddenly longed for it. She longed for the clean air; the smell of the fresh cut grass. She wanted to feel relief as she kicked the soccer ball and it soared into the net. She wanted to feel okay, but she didn't want to go alone. Normally she went with Tai and sometimes Davis or Ken would tag along. It was a thing they all liked to do. It helped take their mind off of things. But she knew Tai would not be coming to this one.

She glanced at her cell phone sitting across the room on her desk. She hadn't touched it in a while. She rolled off of her bed and sauntered over to her desk to retrieve it. Ten missed calls. Eight text messages. They were reminding her about the coffee outing and then asking her why she hadn't come when she didn't show. She ignored them and looked through her contacts for a number.

It rang once. Twice. Three times. Nobody picked up, well except for the voicemail. "Hey, this is Ken-" He obviously wasn't available to play soccer. Sora shrugged and hung up. She wouldn't bother to leave a message. It was time for the last resort out of Tai and Ken. She searched for his number in her phone and waited, but not patiently, for him to pick up.

"Hey Sora." He had answered. Davis had picked up her call. She wondered for a second if she'd regret inviting him to go play soccer. She silently contemplated if she should hang up for a moment. "Sora, you there?"

She decided that she needed to get out, even if it was with the weirdo goggle head. Besides, he was inane. Maybe he had the ability to cheer her up, if anyone. "Yeah, sorry. Hey, are you busy?"

"If you consider trying to color pictures in my Spider Man coloring book with my toes busy, then yes. It's quite hard to get a good grip on a crayon."

Sora laughed a little and it wasn't forced. It came out naturally. Davis was funny without even knowing it. She could just see him sitting in his room with a crayon in between his toes trying to color in the lines and going ballistic when it didn't work.

"Glad you think that's funny." Davis said. "Anyway, why?"

"I want somebody to hang out with. I've been kind of lonely."

"Wouldn't you normally ask Tai or Matt? Or even the entire Digi-Destined before me?" She knew Davis would react in a way close to this.

"I feel like playing some soccer. And Tai and Ken are busy." Well, that was partly truthful. "I don't think Matt would like that much and you just seemed like a good fit."

"Well, sure. I'm free."

"Really? Are you sure you're not preoccupied with Spiderman?"

"Yeah. Spidey can wait. I'll meet you at the field in fifteen minutes?"

"Sounds great." Sora smiled. She'd finally have some company. "See you then." They exchanged goodbyes and hung up.

She quickly changed into a pair of red athletic shorts and a white tank top. She found her cleats sitting in the corner of her room along with her soccer ball. She pulled on her cleats and grabbed her ball, then headed out the door. Her mother was in the living room watching her favorite soap opera. She looked at Sora with such a shocked expression that Sora thought she might faint. "Sora, you're going out!"

"Yeah. I invited Davis to go play some soccer."

"That's nice, but don't you usually go with Tai?"

Sora cringed. She was hoping she wouldn't have to hear his name again. Every time she heard it; every time that one syllable word hit her ears, she instantly felt sick. She felt weak at the knees. "He's got plans." She said simply and headed towards the door.

"Oh, well okay. Have fun." She said, and as Sora shut the door behind her, her mom beamed. She hated seeing Sora held up in her room like it was a jail cell. She couldn't quite fathom what was going on with her lately though. She just hoped it was getting better. If Sora needed her, she'd talk to her.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Davis! Mom says you have to make dinner tonight!" Jun yelled at her brother as he was nearing the door. He came to a stop, clenching his fists at his side. Shit, he almost had a clean break. He was almost clear of Jun. So close. He turned to face his sister who sat on the couch in the living room with the phone glued to her ear. She was babbling to her friend about how she scored tickets to The Teenage Wolves next concert. Only after she harassed every ticket selling company through phone calls and emails, of course.

"Jun!" Davis whined. "Can't you do it? I'm going out to look for a job!" Davis had no idea where that lie came from.

"You're only fourteen, idiot! And why would you being looking for a job? That's a lame excuse!"

"It's true! They're hiring down the street at that Chinese place!"

"The one that always scams me?! I never get my fortune cookies! I want to know if Matt and I will get married! Damn Chinese people!" Davis rolled his eyes. He wondered if she'd ever get over Matt. It was getting extremely irritating. She continued on with her rant about Chinese food and Matt. Davis took that as an opportunity to slip out of the apartment and hit the sidewalk running. He laughed to himself maniacally and then stopped when he got a strange look from a guy wearing a suit and carrying a brief case.

"Oh, I'm an important business man in a suit! Look at my red tie. I'm going to laugh at a dorky child who laughs evilly to himself." Davis mocked him under his breath. He really needed to stop talking to himself.

He neared the field and saw Sora kicking around a soccer ball. Good, because he just remembered that he had forgotten to grab his himself. He ran up to her. "Hey!"

"Oh, you're here!" She kicked the ball up into her hands. Davis noticed that the life seemed to be gone from her smile as she tried to force one. Her auburn hair was a tangled mess and although make-up had never really been Sora's thing, her face was pale and her expression lifeless. Something was definitely wrong with her, but what? He decided it'd be rude to ask.

"Yep!" He still tried to act cheerful. After all, didn't his carefree mood rub off on people? "Let's play, but make it interesting. How about a bet?"

"Okay." She agreed, nodding. "If I win, you have to…" She trailed off, thinking. "You have to tell Izzy that his dashing computer skills sweep you off your feet!"

Davis chuckled. "Deal! And if I win, you have to tell me what's wrong."

Sora looked bewildered then. Her sadness must have been obvious, although she hadn't been trying to make it seem that way. She also chose to call Davis because he was quite oblivious, but maybe she had underestimated him.

"Uhhh, deal." She said reluctantly, and the bet was made. The soccer ball was dropped and the game began.

They dashed up and down the field, battling for the win. Davis was a challenge, considering Sora was a little rusty with her skills. Most of the time he had the upper hand, but just when he thought it'd be easy, Sora would steal the ball or make some tricky move that caught him off guard. She was a good opponent.

They didn't know how long they had been playing, but the score was tied at three. They were both sweating profusely and gasping for air. There was nothing like an excruciating game of soccer under the hot sun, which was beginning to go down around now. "Next goal wins." Davis said tiredly after they had gotten a drink of water from the fountain. Sora didn't protest. They were off again.

Sora felt like she was flying. It felt so good to be outside and playing a game she loved with a friend. She seemed to forget about everything. The only thing that mattered was the game and kicking Davis' ass! The energy she suddenly acquired was amazing. Oh, how she loved adrenaline rushes.

She had a perfect shot at the goal. She could win. The imaginary audience in her mind cheered for her. However, she was thinking it over too much, and it gave Davis just enough time to steal it from her and start running down the field. Sora wasn't far behind. It wasn't like she lost by a mile, but the closer Davis got to the goal, the weaker she felt. Was it because she was becoming closer and closer to losing the bet? To telling Davis about her ordeal that had been eating away at her? She didn't know, but she could feel the energy being drained from her. She made a feeble attempt at getting under Davis' feet with her own to get the ball away from him, but he didn't even stumble and poised himself to kick the ball. Caught up in the moment and what his goal would mean, she immediately got the urge to tackle him, and listened to it. The ball went flying towards the goal and Davis crashed to the grass with Sora on top of him.

"Sora, this isn't football!" Then he thought over what he had just said. "Wait, don't they call soccer football in England or something? So, technically this is football? Wait, no. I'm not British!" He rambled on and on and then came to an abrupt halt when he saw the ball sitting in the goal. "I win!" Sora was a lot heavier than she looked! He felt crushed underneath her. "Hey Sora?"

"Yes, Davis?"

"Can you get off of me?" He asked, and she rolled off of him and landed in the grass.

Davis sat up and grinned. "So, despite your efforts to bring me down, I still won. So what's wrong?"

"Crossing the street without looking for cars, running a red light, giving a police officer the middle finger, robbing a bank, cheating in a game of monopoly, need I say more?"

"Cheating in monopoly? Where'd that one come from?!" Davis was currently distracted, as Sora was hoping. She was veering away from the question.

He looked at Sora, waiting. "Because Tai cheated in monopoly once! And I was going to win! I was so close, Davis! I had way more properties than him! I had the boardwalk!" She went on hysterically and then her face expression contorted from anger to sadness and she burst into tears.

A befuddled Davis desperately tried to comfort her. "Sora, are you okay?"

"It's Tai, Davis!" She cried through tears.

"I'm real sorry he cheated at monopoly, Sora, but-"

"No! That's not it!"

"Then what? You're confusing the hell out of me, Sora. What does monopoly have to do with anything?" He moved closer to her. "Sora, you can tell me. Forget about the bet. Don't tell me because you lost a bet, tell me because you want someone to talk to." He surprised himself at how capable of being compassionate he was proving to be.

"It's going to sound stupid!"

"Sora, do you think anything could sound stupid to a guy like me?" She shook her head. "Exactly, now spit it out."

"Tai kissed me."

"You're crying because Tai kissed you? Is he a bad kisser? I mean, why else would you be crying? I would think you'd love it if Tai kissed you! Unless I was wrong about my suspicion! I am wrong a lot. I wonder--" He didn't get to finish.

"Davis!" Sora shouted. "It's not the fact that he kissed me! At least, not all of it! He ran away after he did like he couldn't bear to look at me or something! We haven't spoken in a month and I've barley left my room! And I miss him! He has the Crest of Courage, but he's acting like a stupid coward!"

"And you have the Crest of Love, Sora. And what are you doing? You have been locked up in your room with your thoughts practically going insane and not talking to him! Aren't you supposed to go to him and tell him you're feelings?!" Sora was speechless. How could Davis say that to her? How could he out of all people make it impossible for words to form in her mind? "If you two were in danger in the Digital World, your Digimon wouldn't be able to digivolve because neither of your crests would glow! You'd both die!" He made motions with his hands of them being shredded to pieces and obnoxious sound effects. "Tai and Sora. Obliterated! Gone! Finished! Terminando!"

Sora gawked at him. "Was that in Spanish?"

"I'm not really sure." He pondered that for a moment. "Anyway…" He stopped, unable to continue. "Awh! You totally ruined my speech! I was on a roll!"

"Sorry." Sora apologized, now feeling bad. He had been trying to help and she had to interrupt with a question of what language he was speaking. She sighed. "But you are making sense, Davis. Really, you're right. But I guess I'm a coward too because I just can't face him."

"Well, then. We'll have to work on that." He grinned at her, his famous smile. The one that was similar to Tai's trademark grin. It made Sora think of him. Is that why she'd chosen Davis to talk to? Not just because he played soccer or was an idiot, but because he reminded her of Tai? It sort of made her feel like she was using Davis in some weird twisted way that she couldn't explain, nor comprehend. And when Davis hugged her as if to make her feel better because he was lost of what else to say, Sora's mind couldn't help but imagine it being Tai instead.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Ha! I win! Again!" Izzy had gained an extreme liking to online chess. He liked to beat random people across the world. It made him feel dignified somehow. Suddenly a new email alert popped up on his computer and he clicked on it, despite the fact that it could just be spam again. He hadn't known how he'd gotten signed up to a site that sold lingerie, but he did know that he'd never lend his laptop to Mimi ever again.

Only it wasn't spam, or a coupon for a free pair of panties from Victoria's Secret. It was from Gennai. With wide eyes, Izzy clicked on it. It had been a while since Gennai had contacted him, and he had a feeling that he wasn't emailing him just to say hi.

**A/N: Wow. I just want to keep on writing and writing and writing! It's amazing! I've really got my drive back. Who knows, I might start another chapter within a few hours. I really like how my new writing flows. It's really improved since Head Games. If you compare the first two chapters of those to these, you'll find so many differences!**

**Reviews are always welcome. Any suggestions? Helpful advice? Opinions?**

**Just clicky clicky that button!**


	3. three

**A/N: Back and ready for action! YAY. I start driver's ed on Monday, so therefore, updates might take a little longer. We'll see when I can get around to it.**

**But let's not worry about that right now, you've got a new chapter to read.**

**Thanks for reviewing. I love you all! **

**Once again, this chapter's dedicated to Courage Sun.**

**Happy reading!**

Tai Kamiya soaked in his usual steaming hot bath as he always did after playing soccer. It was a nice wind down from the high energy feeling he was experiencing on the field. He fumed at what had happened just under an hour ago at his soccer game.

For the first time since he was seven years old on the third grade soccer team, Tai had been on the bench. And for the entire first half. Every time he'd even try to make a suggestion that he get out on the field, his coach would simply start yelling out to a player on the field. Tai may be a little dimwitted, but he knew he was being ignored.

He was normally the center and here he was, watching on the sidelines. Watching the co-captain of the team, Ryo, take his place as center and doing a pretty damn good job. He was trying to steal his position. Damn him. He yearned to be out there; to feel the excitement and feed off of the spectator's energy. He wanted to run. His muscles ached because he wasn't playing. That's how much he loved soccer, or well, needed soccer. Lately it had become more of an outlet to vent his frustrations than a way to have fun.

His coach was surely punishing him for his disastrous performance at practices. Lately Tai had been quite a ball hog. He normally would devise an elaborate plan to get around the other team and score a goal, in which every player was involved. He was the captain after all, but he was so ravenous to get his craving of adrenaline; to feel alive, that he acted like a jerk doing it. During scrimmages it seemed as if he was playing the game with himself because nobody else would even get to touch the ball. They would just watch angrily as Tai took over the field.

He was not meant to be a bench warmer. Certainly not Tai Kamiya. He was meant to be in the spotlight. He sat impatiently, cursing at his coach under his breath.

At half time, Ryo stumbled off the field. "Coach," He began breathlessly. "I need a break."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah," He replied, downing the rest of the water from his water bottle. "I've played for the entire half without stopping. I'm beat."

"Fine. Take a seat." He sighed and pointed at Tai. "Kamiya, get out there. And share the ball, please." Tai could sense the doubt in his voice.

He ran eagerly out onto the field, ready for action.

As soon as his feet made contact with the ball, Tai claimed it as his. He was making his way up the field, defenders surrounding him. A few of his team mates had followed him down the field and one of them was open for a pass. Tai made eye contact. Of course he knew he was there, but he refused to give up the ball. Making himself feel better was more important. He had to score a goal.

But his thinking gave the opposite team enough time to steal the ball. They scored two goals within four minutes.

"Kamiya!" His coach barked after the second goal was scored. "Share the ball!" But Tai would not allow himself to. He knew he was angering his coach and the other players, but he just couldn't give it up.

He heard his team mate call out his name, trying to get his attention; to give up _his _ball. Never. Tai smirked and tried to push his way through the players around him. At this point it didn't matter how he got to the goal, just that he did. He barged through, colliding with others' bodies, simply not caring. He was in the clear, he could see the goal. His dream was crushed to an oblivion when the whistle blew. He kicked the ball with all of his strength and it went soaring over the goal and out of sight. He turned around furiously, wondering what in the hell had happened that the referee had to blow the whistle and stop the game that was in motion; to stop him from getting what he wanted.

That's when he spotted a guy from the opposite team sprawled across the field, holding his nose. Blood gushed from it and painted the grass red. He had gotten in Tai's way and gotten knocked down.

Tai received a glare from one of his team mates. "You just had to be the center of attention." He murmured.

Ryo, having run out onto the field, chimed in with, "Are you even with us, Tai? Because something tells me this game isn't about getting our team a win. It's about you going on some sort of rampage to let off whatever's going on with you right now. Personal problems stay off the field. Out here, it's all soccer. It's all about the game, Tai."

"I don't have a personal problem! How the fuck would you know anyway? You don't care about being friends with me! You just want to take my place!"

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm happy you're our captain, or at least, I was. You were always one step ahead of everybody else; always making spontaneous moves that scored us goals. You're not thinking about the team anymore, Tai. You're thinking of yourself."

"Ryo-"

But he wouldn't take it anymore. "Coach is waiting for you on the sidelines. Good luck." And he walked out to take Tai's place, once again.

Tai stomped off the field to his irate coach. "I knew I shouldn't have let you go out there. Whatever's wrong with you, straighten it out. You're putting our team in jeopardy. The soccer field is no place for your own personal problems." He didn't want to hear a repeat of what Ryo just told him. "Ryo will be taking over for you until you play like a part of a team, and to do that, I think you need a break from soccer. Go home." He couldn't believe what he was saying. He was being revoked of his spot as captain? Ryo was replacing him? He knew it. Ryo was out to get him. All of those practices that they had worked together and devised plays to confuse the other team; he was just out to be captain the entire time.

He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. Defeated, he packed up his things and left the field. The more he told himself that Ryo was out to get him and take his job, the stupider it sounded. By the way he had just acted; _he _had gotten _his _captain status taken away. Ryo had nothing to do with it. This one was all Tai.

He sighed and climbed out of the bathtub. He dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist.

When he stepped into the hallway, he found his sister chattering away on his cell phone. "Sure. My parents are gone visiting our aunt for the week anyway." She paused, as if she was listening to the person on the other side of the line. "Yeah, I'll make some phone calls. See you soon. Bye." She shut the phone and handed it to her brother who accepted it numbly.

"Since when did I hire you as my secretary, Kari?"

"I'm sorry." She apologized in response to her brother's irritable tone. "Your phone was ringing every few minutes and I thought it was urgent, so I picked it up. It was Izzy. He's calling a mandatory meeting and we're having it here. He got an email from Gennai."

"What? No! Have it somewhere else! I'm busy with stuff!"

"Why are you so grumpy? Did you lose your game?"

"No. Well, probably. We were trailing by two when I left."

"Left?"

"Yeah, I got sent home."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I injured some guy on the other team. Something like that." Tai waved it off.

"How?"

"I don't know, Kari. Maybe I was trying to get to the goal!"

"Sorry…" She replied. She was always calm and compassionate, even when Tai was being a jerk to her. It was just her nature. She ducked into her room and returned with her pink cell phone. "I've got some calls to make."

"I told you that we're not having the damn meeting here, Kari! I don't want any visitors." Especially not Sora, but he didn't tell her that.

She selected someone from her contacts and hummed to herself as it rang, ignoring Tai's outburst of a request. "Hey Davis. There's an emergency meeting at my place. Get here as soon as you can." Tai wanted to rip the phone from her ear and snap it in half. He entered his room and slammed the door, locking it behind him. He tried to drown out her voice.

He needed to get away and he knew the perfect vacation spot.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Sora, we have to be there. Kari said it's urgent." Davis told her, after she protested.

"But Tai's going to be there!"

"Yeah, but so is everybody else. There will be so much going on that you guys won't even notice that each other are there! Izzy's just going to drone on the entire time anyway."

"I guess you're right." She admitted, biting her lip. "Let's go." She followed Davis out of his messy room and past the kitchen.

"Daisuke, where are you going?" His mother questioned.

"Sora and I are hungry. We're gonna go grab a bite to eat." He lied oh so fluently. "We'll be back soon."

"Okay." She said, and the two of them walked to the door. Jun came in just as they were getting on their shoes. She was, of course, on her cell phone blabbing to a friend. She stopped in mid-sentence when she saw Sora and giggled to herself.

"Davis has a girl over? What, did you pay her to pose as your girlfriend to make that one girl jealous? You know, the brunette that's always hanging around that blonde kid?" Sora didn't know if Jun just couldn't remember their names, or if she was talking in code as if to not spill Davis' secret, even though there wasn't one. Everyone knew that Davis was madly in love with Kari. You had to be a fool not to.

Davis glowered at his sister. "Sora happens to be here willingly. She wanted to come here."

"Suuuure." Jun disappeared into the living room, drowning in laughter.

"I apologize for her. She thinks it's impossible for me to have a girl over without bribing them. I beg to differ. Kari wouldn't even come here if I bribed her." He laughed and then thought about it more. "I'd have to bribe her with T.K if it did happen to work." Sora admired Davis' sense of humor. He was able to laugh at himself and he was easy going. She laughed along with him. It felt nice, as it had when she had first made that phone call to him and laughed.

They headed out the door together. Sora had been hanging around Davis a lot and she liked to. He made her feel at ease. She was undoubtedly comfortable around him. They would sit in his room and listen to music. She'd watch him try and color with crayons with his feet. He was beyond entertaining and had the ability to make her smile. They could spend hours together without getting bored. The thing she liked most about him was that he didn't bother her about Tai or tell her what to do. He'd listen if she wanted to talk, but otherwise he'd steer clear of the subject.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Mimi was the last one to arrive at The Kamiya's. She entered without knocking, like everyone else did. They were all expected, so it didn't matter. She threw off her flip flops and made her way to the living room where everyone was gathered around Izzy, who sat at his laptop. "Ah, Mimi. There you are. Now we can begin." He said. She was pleased that he noticed her appearance. Now if only somebody would comment on her outfit.

She glanced around the room at her friends; her fellow Digi-Destined. She had more in common with them then anybody else. They were, in a sense, one big family. T.K and Kari sat on the loveseat next to each other, awaiting Izzy's announcement. Davis and Sora were seated on the couch. Ken, Yolei, and Cody sat next to Izzy on the floor and Matt leaned up against the wall. Mimi stood next to him, considering he was alone.

That's when she noticed somebody was missing. There were twelve of them; twelve pieces to fit the puzzle they formed. And currently there was only eleven seated in the living room. The one who led them all; the original goggle-head, was absent.

"Where's Tai?" She asked nobody in particular. Her question hung uncomfortably in the air.

Kari answered. "He won't come out of his room. I don't know what's wrong with him, but he seemed upset about his soccer game. He's being a grouch."

"It's very important that we're all here, but he's being stubborn, which isn't anything new for him. So, I ask that you fill him in, Kari. This is all very important." Izzy told her and she nodded. "Then I will begin, because I'm sure you're all curious as to what's going on." He paused as if waiting for everyone to confirm that they were, but they just stared at him, waiting. "I received an email from Gennai about a new threat in the Digital World and he would like to speak to us all in a live transmission." He clicked a button on his keyboard and a hologram of the guy they knew so well appeared in the room.

"Hello Digi-Destined. It's nice to see you all together." He looked around at each of them and when he came up one short he was confused. "Where's Taichi?"

"Long story." Izzy said. "We'll inform him later."

"Very well." He said. "You all need to stay out of the Digital World. There will be no going there for casual picnics or to relax."

"Why?" Yolei asked.

"Yeah, it's nice to have somewhere to practice my kendo," Cody chimed in.

"I bet, but you won't find it peaceful at the moment. A new threat has emerged, and she's determined. She wants the Digital World and Earth in her possession and to do it, she'll need to get rid of its protectors."

"In other words she wants to kill us, right?" Joe questioned, pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"Yes, Jyou. To put it bluntly."

He sighed. "Of course. I knew it was too quiet there! It's like these Digimon wait until the Digital World is at its most peaceful and then decide that it's just too happy there, so they have to wreck it. What's the big deal with ruling two worlds anyway? What's so great about it?"

"Power, Jyou. Power. That's all they want. They're horrible tyrants. Spiritmon will stop at nothing to get it."

"Spiritmon? That's the Digimon's name?"

"Indeed."

Matt moved off of the wall. "I don't get it. Why can't we go to the Digital World? It's in danger. Don't we need to go and save it?"

"Hold on, Yamato. Don't get carried away." Matt crossed his arms, waiting for what was to be said next. "There's one thing. Spiritmon can't pass between the two worlds unless through a human's body. If no human goes to the Digital World, Spiritmon is trapped inside. Got it?"

"So, that's it?" Izzy asked. He thought it would be different, that they'd need to go fight, but Gennai was telling them to never go to the Digital World again? "We can't ever go there again just to keep an evil Digimon trapped inside? You just want us to avoid her? We'll never see our Digimon again!"

"Koushiro, I'm not sure you all are strong enough, and I can't risk Earth being put into jeopardy."

"So, what about the Digital World then? You're just going to let it fall to pieces; into darkness?" Kari asked. What was going on with Gennai? Why was he acting so strange?

"One world's better than two worlds, Hikari."

"But all of the Digimon! Gatomon..."

"You must listen to me. I know what's right. Nobody can set foot in the Digital World, or there will be huge consequences for it."

"Why don't you think we can handle it?" Davis jumped in. "We can do anything, Gennai! You don't think we're strong enough?"

"I don't want to see the heroes fall."

"But either way, something horrible is going to happen! Either we sit around and do nothing while the Digital World goes to hell, or we try to fight her and possibly die along the way. What's the point in not doing anything at all when we could try?"

"Daisuke, that's enough. There will be no further discussion. I must leave now. Remember, no one goes to the Digital World." And he was gone, leaving everybody dumfounded and speechless.

"What the hell just happened?" Matt inquired. "Because honestly I'm confused and feeling kind of angry. He thinks we're weak!"

"I don't get it either, Matt. I didn't expect that at all. His email wasn't anything at all like that. He expressed that he needed our help and was counting on us."

"Counting on us to sit around and do nothing?" T.K had been quiet, but he sure hadn't liked what Gennai had said.

"That's not what it seemed like. His email was different. He sounded like he wanted us to fight; like he had faith in us."

"I'm not going to be a coward." Davis said. "We need to try and stop her. The Digital World is just as much of a home to us as Earth is."

"I agree with Davis." Sora added.

"So what do we do?" Mimi had been the one to ask the obvious burning question.

"We go against Gennai. That's what." Matt stated defiantly and everyone looked at him, astonished. "What? We have to."

"Matt's right, you guys." Izzy shut his laptop. "We have to protect the Digital World. It's what we're supposed to do. It's our job." Gennai just didn't understand.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Tai paced around and kicked at the dirt. He looked into the distance to see a thick fog. What the hell? There should be a weather man to predict these types of things in the Digital World, something to warn him. A weathermon. Tai chuckled darkly to himself. He felt like ripping his hair out and screaming into the sky. Here he was, making strange jokes to make himself feel better, and it wasn't even working. He just felt worse. He thought going there would relieve him and give him a sense of tranquility, but he still felt the same. He felt like he was being a swallowed up into an endless super massive black hole.

**(A/N: I really love that song by Muse. You might not even know what I'm talking about right now, but that's okay. Anyway, enough rambling. That's not the end yet).**

He decided he'd just go back. It was a stupid idea to come. He was digging out his digivice from his pocket when he heard a whisper. "Leaving so soon? Why don't you stay for a while?" It felt so close, like whoever was speaking was standing right behind him. He turned abruptly to see nothing and decided he was just tired. He began walking and heard it again. "Taichi." It hissed now, making Tai cringe. Who or what was that?

"Hello?" He spun around, searching for something. Anything. But there was nothing. And then he suddenly felt a strange sensation over come him and he felt weak. He continued on though, kept on meandering towards the gate. But he couldn't go on much longer. His steps became shorter. His breath became ragged. He felt as if he was being dragged down by an impenetrable force. He couldn't even begin to explain the feeling. And when a sharp pain seemed to radiate through his body, the leader fell crippled to the ground. It seemed as if he was finally being dragged down into that hole. He couldn't fight it. It took over him.

**A/N: Now it's the end! I have to say, it's a little bit of a different approach than the old Head Games, but I do like it. I find my writing voice to be a lot better. My writing has a lot more feeling and intensity. Agree/disagree?**

**Leave me a review with some suggestions or things you liked. It keeps me going.**

**It's two-twenty in the morning. I'm going to get some sleep. Especially since I've only gotten seven hours in two days and I don't like coffee. There's nothing to keep me awake.**


	4. four

**A/N: You know what sucks? I had this all typed out and then it got deleted before I could post it. It made me so mad, but I will be able to finish it because I got internet on the computer in my room! YAY! So updates might even be more often because of this. Sorry this chapter took so long by the way! I have only two more days of drivers ed left before I can get my permit and start my driving lessons! I'm excited and terrified at the same time!**

**So, this chapter is dedicated to Courage Sun, once again. In fact, let's just say this entire fic is dedicated to her, okay?! Haha.**

The Digi-Destined were frozen with an unimaginable amount of confusion. They sat like stone in the Kamiya's living room, pondering what they should do. Ten faces with concern written all over them turned to Davis. "Why are you all looking at me?" He asked.

"You're the one wearing the goggles! What do we do?" T.K questioned, desperation evident in his voice.

"I thought we all agreed that we're going no matter what Gennai says. Where had everyone's confidence disappeared to? The room had been filled with determination just minutes before and now the stench of stale fear replaced it. "I thought we were going straight there to kick that digimon's ass!"

"We can't be too hasty, Davis." Izzy spoke up. "We could be walking right into death here. This is a serious matter. It isn't some video game that you have extra lives in. You can't just start over and try again. When the screen flashes 'Game Over,' it really is over. No do-over's; no second chances." The worry lines on the computer whiz's forehead were enough to make Davis' stomach churn. Everyone's semblance was similar to Izzy's. Doubt blanked the room, thick and unsettling.

Izzy didn't need to tell him the consequences. Davis knew what they were risking. They risked it every time there was danger in the Digital World, but they did it because the Digital World was like their second home. They couldn't abandon it, even if it meant coming face to face with death. "We can win, guys! We're strong! Who is Gennai to tell us what to do?" But even as Davis said the words, he was becoming apprehensive himself. He scanned the room to look at each of his fellow Digi-Destined. This was the team he hadn't tried out for; the team he had joined unwillingly, but had grown to love. They were, in a sense, his family. And families were supposed to stick together.

"I just don't know, Davis. I think we should all sleep on it. Then come up with a decision."

"We don't have time. We need to act now, while we still can."

"Some of us aren't ready." Matt said in a low voice.

"You were all for it just a few minutes ago, Matt. You too, Izzy! You said it yourselves! We all agreed. The Digital World is our home. We can't sit around and let it be destroyed." Davis could feel the rage almost boiling in his blood. How could they all be so selfish? "If Tai were here, he'd agree with me."

"He would because you're both idiots." Matt retorted. "I wouldn't say walking right into danger is a smart thing to do."

"So you just want to sit here and wait for the Digital World to collapse? I can't believe this! We've always walked into danger. It's what were supposed to do! We're supposed to be heroes! How is this time any different?"

"This time we don't have a very good chance of winning." T.K answered.

"When have we ever?" Davis said, laughing almost maniacally. "But we still pull through. What's the point of giving up now?"

Joe raised his hand. "Because I like breathing!"

"I'm with Joe on this," Yolei agreed. "We can't let Spiritmon into our world."

"But you'll just let her destroy our digimon's' home?"

The room fell silent. Davis' last angry question hung in the air. He looked over at Kari, being soothed by T.K. He knew without even asking that Kari was against him as well. Although Kari seemed like she'd be the one most likely to want to go on fighting, because she knew her brother would want to, T.K took precedence. When she saw Davis looking at her she gave him a sympathetic look, but that wasn't going to make up for anything. Not even a kiss from Kari Kamiya could make Davis feel any better right now and that was saying a lot.

"You're all cowards." Davis said, just loud enough for everyone to hear him. He stomped out of the living room and knocked on Tai's door. Surely Tai would agree with him, right? Tai didn't answer. "Hey Tai! Open up!" He yelled, but he still received no reply and the door was locked. Frustrated, he turned away from the closed door to face Kari's room. The door hung open and her pink laptop sat on her desk. He dug in his pocket, clutching his way out of this mess and perhaps into a mess way worse, but he was willing to go fight an evil Digimon, rather than sit here arguing with the people who he couldn't even call his team anymore. He walked into her room and locked the door behind him.

Wearing the goggles was a huge responsibility. Davis sometimes couldn't handle it. It was as if he was carrying two worlds around on his shoulders and he kind of was. He was a leader. He was supposed to push his team in the right direction. That's all he was trying to do. He wanted what was best for the team. He took pride in being a leader and getting them all to work together. He liked feeling like a hero. Before becoming a Digi-Destined, all the action and adventure he ever knew had been in the comic books he read. And now for the past two years, it was as if he was living in his own personal comic book, where he and his friends were the heroes that saved the day. He couldn't understand how they would just want to abandon their digimon partners. Surely they had more heart than that. They were just afraid, but he really wished they'd realize it soon because Davis knew what happened to soldiers who went into war alone. They were killed; often shot dead in an instant. One soldier couldn't stand up against a whole army and survive. It just wasn't possible. He needed the others, but his soldier's were afraid. They were selfish; wanting to keep themselves alive while sacrificing all that inhabited the Digital World.

Davis braced himself and took a deep breath. _Veemon, I'm coming._ He was worried sick about his digimon and all of the others. He took his digivice out and pointed it at the screen before doing the bravest and perhaps, the most foolish, thing possible. He went into battle _alone. _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kari couldn't stand it anymore and got up in the midst of the uncomfortable silence. She padded down the hallway and tried to open Tai's door. It was locked, of course. "Tai, Davis? You guys in there?" She thought maybe Tai had let Davis in, but when she got no answer, she turned towards her own room; towards a closed door. Hadn't it been open before? She tried to open it, but it wouldn't turn. It was locked. Something suddenly clicked in her mind. "Davis!" She screamed, pounding on the door, but she knew he was already gone.

"Kari, what's wrong?" T.K seemed to suddenly materialize behind her.

"T.K, Davis is gone!"

"Gone, what do you mean gone?"

"I mean, gone. He went to the Digital World without us!"

The other Digi-Destined gathered in the hallway in a hurry. Mimi was on the floor in an instant, fiddling with the lock with her bobby pin. _Click. _The door opened after minutes of Mimi tampering with the lock and the Digi-Destined watching her anxiously and arguing with each other. They poured into the room and found what they expected. Emptiness.

"Somebody needs to go get him out of there! He's going to get himself killed!" Kari shouted. She opened her desk drawer frantically and grabbed her digivice. "I'm going!"

"Kari, no! You can't go because Davis chose to be an idiot! You need to stay here. Tai might know what to do. We'll try to get him out of his room. Come on, be reasonable." T.K said with a firm grip on her shoulders.

She shrugged him off. "He was just trying to do what was right and we just let him go in alone! I'm not going to be able to live with the guilt if he doesn't come back." And the look on Kari's face made T.K back off. Kari had never given him a look like that. It made him want to fall to the floor, but he did know Kari was right. Davis had been right in the first place. They were cowards and now they were going to pay for it.

Kari held up her digivice to the screen and yelled, "Digi-port open!" But nothing happened. "No!" She pressed random keys.

Izzy pushed his way to the front of everyone. "What is it, Kari?"

She turned around to face him, her complexion pale and her face expression grave. "The Digi-Port won't open."

After that, all hell seemed to break loose. Chaos ensued and everyone was talking at the same time. In the midst of it all, Matt saw Sora walk into the hallway away from everyone and across the hall. He followed her, wondering if she was sick of everyone as well. She was standing in front of Tai's door, almost crying into the thick wood. "Tai, we need your help. Come out, please." She sniffled. "Everyone's going crazy and we need you. Davis went into the Digital World alone. Please, we need you."

Just as Matt was about to speak and try to comfort her, a voice spoke from behind him. "He's not going to answer, and not because he's ignoring you. He's not there."

Matt and Sora turned to face Izzy, who stood there with the rest of the Digi-Destined behind him. "Davis _and _Tai are in the Digital World."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"What exactly are we searching for, Davis?" His partner, Veemon, asked from beside him. The two had found each other in the forest and were searching for Spiritmon, but how exactly do you go looking for danger? Do you let it come to you?

"Haven't you heard of Spiritmon? She's trying to destroy both of our worlds! And none of the others would come with me to help! They're all cowards. I'm going to help you guys fight. We're going to defeat her." The Digital World was covered in a thick fog that made it hard to see. Davis knew it meant that there was a presence of evil.

"Yeah, but no digimon has seen her. We just see the damage she's made. Like this fog, for instance. All of us digimon were together. Then Biyomon and Agumon went out in search for food and didn't come back, so several of us went out to look for them. Eventually we all got separated. I haven't been able to find any of them. I don't know how long it's been since I've lost everyone. All I know is that I'm happy you're here, Davis."

"Me too." _I wish it wasn't just me, _Davis thought. He had at least thought Sora would come with him.

Suddenly he heard a twig snap. It was like some bad horror movie.

"What was that?" Veemon asked in a scared tone. That sounded right out of a movie as well.

Davis turned every which way, looking for something, but the fog made it impossible to tell if something or someone was there. All he could see was the hazy gray fog for miles. "I don't know." He finally answered. "Do you think we should keep walking forward?"

"Well, we're lost. So there's really no point in staying here. We might as well walk. I don't even know where we are because of this stupid fog! And I know this place like the back of my hand!"

"You don't have hands, buddy." Davis reminded him.

"Well, I know it like the back of my claw!"

And so they went on, not knowing what they'd find. It wasn't long before they spotted a figure in front of them. A person. "Do you see that, Veemon?" Davis asked, slipping his goggles over his eyes, as if it would help him see clearer. And maybe it was just a coincidence, but he was now able to tell who it was.

"Tai!" He shouted, happy to know that someone had come! Maybe he had heard the discussion/altercation in the living room and had decided to come help. "Over here!" He ran towards him with Veemon treading on his heels. When he reached Tai, he put his goggles back on top of his head. "I'm so glad to see you. None of the others would come. Do you have any idea how the hell to find Spiritmon when we can't even see where we're going?"

"Have you seen Agumon, or any other or the digimon?" Veemon asked. They were asking so many questions.

"No and no. I wish. I'm beginning to get worried about him and the others, of course." He replied after a minute.

"Me too. I'm lucky to have found you. I'm so lost out here." _Only he didn't know how unlucky he was._ "Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for me to come here at this time. Maybe it would be easier with all of us here. You think Izzy could come up with a way to see through this fog?"

"I bet he could. Should we head back? Maybe we could convince them to come here and help us. I mean, we have to save the Digital World, right? It's our home! Even if we are risking our lives, or Spiritmon entering the real world. We've just got to do what's right, right?"

Davis had turned around to head back, but there was an extra hint of something in Tai's voice that just didn't sound like him. He faced him once again. Tai was still Tai. His chestnut brown hair was still as wild as ever, he was still the same height, and wearing clothes like Tai would. But his appearance wasn't what startled Davis, it was the unexplainable vibe that he got from him. A dark vibe.

He racked his brain, desperately trying to remember what Gennai had said. Something about Spiritmon being able to take over a human's body and using it to go back and fourth between the two worlds; how they were supposed to stay out of the Digital World to avoid this. He was here and Tai was here. But Tai could have been here longer than he was. Maybe that was why he hadn't answered when Davis had knocked on his door earlier. And if he had been here longer, maybe Spiritmon had found him. And maybe this wasn't Tai he was talking to, even if it looked like it. But how was he supposed to know for sure? Tai had been down lately because of Sora. The dark vibe he was getting could just be because he was miserable about that. It didn't mean he was evil.

If there was anything Davis had learned, it was to make to decisions based on logic, not on impulse. That's all everyone had ever been telling him. To go with his head for once, and not with his heart. But his head and his heart were telling him the same thing. His head had picked out all of the evidence that Tai was possessed by Spiritmon, and his heart had believed it from the moment he felt the vibe.

"Veemon, digivolve!" He was quick to shout, but Tai reached out and knocked his digivice out of his hands. It fell to the ground and bounced a few feet away. And within seconds, Davis was tackled to the ground. His arms were pinned to the ground by Tai. This had confirmed it. He was right.

"Davis!" Veemon cried.

"Don't you even try to digivolve. I could destroy you and your partner so fast that it would be foolish to even try. Do you want to die right now, or would you like to do the smart thing and go back to your world with me? That way, you survive. If you died right here, I could just go back and you'd never be able to tell them that I had possessed Tai. And wouldn't that be sad?"

"Why would you want me to tell them? They'd come after you." Davis was confused. Was Spiritmon stupid? _Or maybe she was smarter than him._

He didn't get an answer and he spoke again. "Okay. We'll go back."

"Glad you've seen things my way." 'Tai' got up and began walking. "Follow me, I know the way to the gate."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The Digi-Destined were all sprawled across the living room floor, with the exception of Sora, who had gotten a call from her mother who told her she needed her at the flower shop. Sora didn't want to tell her mom that there was more trouble in the Digital World because she only seemed stressed enough as it was. The others allowed her to leave, even with Davis and Tai missing. It killed her to have to go to work with two of her friends stuck in the Digital World, but it's not like she'd be much of a help anyway. The Digi-Port was closed. And there was no way to open it. They just had to wait for the return of Davis and Tai. If they did return, that was.

Davis and Veemon landed in Kari's room. They scrambled into the living room where he found everyone laying on the floor. "Guys!"

Kari sat up first. "Davis! You're back!" She got up and ran over to hug him. Davis would have enjoyed it at any other time, but he had more important things to worry about.

"We're so sorry. You're completely right. The Digital World is like our second home. We need to fight Spiritmon. We were going to come after you, but the gate was locked!"

The others nodded behind her, all relieved that Davis was back and alive. "It's okay. I've got to tell you guys something. I came face to face with Spiritmon!"

"What?!" Izzy shouted. "How is that possible? You're standing in front of us!"

"Tai was there. Spiritmon possessed him! And she's here. She came back with me."

"And she didn't kill you?" T.K raised an eyebrow.

Davis shook his head, even though the answer to that question was obvious. "I'm not exactly sure why, but I found Veemon. We've got to come up with some sort of plan!"

"Wait, does this mean that Spiritmon is in Tai's room?"

"Precisely."

"I say we just pretend that we don't know; that Davis didn't tell us. We go greet him as if we're glad he's back and in one piece and then form a plan later." Matt suggested, and the others didn't know what else to do, so they agreed.

Mimi's bobby pin wasn't needed to get into Tai's room. It was now unlocked and when the Digi-Destined entered the room, 'Tai' was nowhere to be seen and there was a cool draft in the room coming from the open window.

"What trick do you think Spiritmon has up her sleeve?" Cody asked, looking down at the long jump that 'Tai' had taken.

No one answered. Because, well, nobody really knew.

**A/N: Well, that took me a few hours. And I'm extremely tired! Spending the entire day cleaning and rearranging your room takes a lot out of you, I guess! So you should review, because I'd love that. And I'm really wondering just how well I've improved and if you guys liked this chapter. Until next time I guess.**


	5. five

**A/N: You know what's horrible?**

**Davis: That swine flu is sweeping the nation?**

**Well, that too. WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! But, no. That I haven't updated since January! I'm reverting back to my old ways again. –sigh- I apologize times a billion! I wonder if anybody will even read this. They've probably all forgotten by now. Oh well, I'm putting it up anyway. I have hope! …Somewhat.**

**S**ora plopped down on a lawn chair in the back room of the flower shop and kicked off her shoes. She placed her bare feet on a stool and listened to the soft music coming from the radio. She sipped her lemonade and embraced the cool blasts of air coming from the fan she set up in the room. It was blistering hot outside. Her mother had gone to run some errands and left Sora in charge of the shop which wouldn't be too bothersome of a job, considering nobody wanted to buy flowers in this heat. Well, except for one person. She heard the bell ring as the door to the shop opened. She sighed and padded to the counter.

The person standing on the other side of the counter was the last person she expected. A shocked expression settled onto her face and she struggled to find words. What was she supposed to say to him? To the boy standing before her, who she hadn't spoken to in months? Hadn't he been stuck in the digital world? The last she heard from Izzy was that the gate was locked, so how was he here now? Had the computer whiz figured something out? She was grateful he was okay in any case. "Tai," She breathed. A single word. His name. It was all she could manage. He didn't say anything. He stared at her, his chocolate brown eyes as cold and empty as ever. Sora wondered for a minute if he was going to yell at her. She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. She spoke again, hesitantly. "Uhm, did the others send you to come tell me something? Is Davis okay?" She was prompting him to answer her, to say anything at all.

"Davis is fine." His voice was hard. Was he just on edge because he didn't know how to talk to her? No, it seemed like something more. Something was wrong. But Sora didn't have any time to do anything about it. Her phone was in her hand and she was about to call Izzy, but the number never got dialed. Sora suddenly felt frail and her knees buckled. She staggered and then crumpled to the ground behind the counter. Seconds later, Tai's body fell limply to the ground as well. Sora rose a second later, but there was something different about her. The same dark vibe that seemed to envelop Tai had transferred to her. Spiritmon was totally in control of her now. Sora was lost somewhere deep down inside of herself and she couldn't find her way back to the surface. Spiritmon pushed her way too far down.

She walked out from behind the counter, picked up Tai's wilted body and dragged him to a storage closet. She threw him inside and took the keys from the front counter, trying all of them until one locked the door. That would hold the leader off for a while. He'd be unconscious for about another hour and when he'd awaken someone would let him out eventually. She just needed about that much time to carry out her plan. She hung up her apron and picked up the cell phone laying on the floor. She walked out of the shop with the phone pressed to her ear. "Hello?" A voice said.

"Hey," Spiritmon replied, in Sora's light voice. "I got off of work early. It was pretty dead at the shop." So far, so easy.

"Oh, okay." Izzy replied, seeming distracted. He hadn't noticed anything off about Sora. Spiritmon was trying to put on a good act and it seemed to be working.

"Fill me in on anything I missed?" She asked, walking aimlessly. She didn't know where she was going.

"Well," He sighed. "Things are hectic. Davis returned and Tai did as well, but not as himself. Spiritmon possessed him and I'm afraid she's now in Odaiba. We don't know where she went actually. Listen, where are you?" Of course, Spiritmon already knew all of this. Sora didn't. She hadn't gotten the chance to.

She looked around. "By the park."

"Perfect." Izzy said. "We'll see you there in ten minutes. We need to get out of the apartment anyway. Some fresh air will do us all good."

"Sure," She agreed. "See you soon." And she hung up, slipping the cell phone into her pocket. She sat down on a picnic table and waited for the other digidestined to arrive so she could carry out her plan. Spiritmon tried her hardest to appear worried and fidgeted with the bracelet around Sora's wrist, wanting to seem like a human who was scared. She found it surprisingly easy. She needed to be able to deceive the digidestined and she needed to appear convincing.

**M**att was sitting at the picnic table in-between Sora and Mimi. The group was discussing what their next action was going to be and honestly, they didn't have a clue. They didn't know where Spiritmon was hiding and they didn't know how to stop her. They needed to meet up with their Digimon, that was the only thing they were certain of. Eventually they were going to have to battle Spiritmon, although Matt didn't know when that time would come. He just had a feeling it wouldn't be for a while. He groaned and ran his hands through his hair. "Izzy, please tell me you have an idea." Everyone was looking to him for answers.

Izzy looked more stressed than any of the other digidestined. Creases of worry were evident on his forehead and he looked like he was in deep thought, desperately trying to come up with some sort of plan. "I'm sorry guys. I don't know what to do. The only thing I can think of is to email Gennai and I'm assuming he's not too happy with us for letting Spiritmon into the real world."

"I think we should go after Spiritmon ourselves. We can try to find her. Lead her into the Digital World. There's got to be a way to get her to leave Tai's body." Ken suggested from beside Izzy.

"Ken's idea is the only one we have." Sora chimed in. Matt took notice of the look of concern on her face, however, what he didn't know was that it was artificial.

"I agree," Izzy said, seeming skeptical. "We'll split up into groups. If there's no sight of Spiritmon in the next few hours we'll go to Gennai."

Matt nodded. "Give us orders, chief." Somehow it felt weird, not taking orders from Tai. Mat hadn't always used to like it, but he had grown accustomed to it.

"Matt, Sora and Davis, you guys will be one group. Kari, T.K, and Cody will be another. Mimi, Joe and Yolei are the third. Ken, you'll stay here with me. We'll be the base that everyone reports back to if they have a sighting. Try not to get to close to her."

"You mean, don't get to close to Tai." Davis said, finding it odd referring to Tai as a she.

"Yes, Davis. But it's not really Tai." Izzy told him, rolling his eyes.

"I know that." Davis replied a little annoyed. He was just thinking aloud.

"Now, you all have two hours. Report back here after that time if there's nothing found. If you spot Tai, call me or Ken immediately." Izzy instructed.

"Then what?" Yolei asked. "What happens if we find Spiritmon?"

"I haven't gotten that far yet." Izzy confessed, embarrassed. Doubt coated his voice, like frosting spread thickly over cake. Everyone nodded and headed out to search in their groups, feeling desolation heavy on their hearts. But they were searching for something that would never be found because Spiritmon was among them. Although, they didn't know that. And that, was simply Spiritmon's plan. When Tai woke up from his stupor and was eventually found, he'd be looked at as the enemy.

**T**ai moaned as his eyes fluttered open slowly and four walls surrounded him. The unmistakable smell of flowers was in the air. He was laying, sprawled across the tiled floor, in a storage closet. A storage closet for flowers. He'd seen this closet before. He'd been in it many times, grabbing certain kinds of tulips and roses when he offered to help Sora at work. His head was spinning. He couldn't recall much, except a feeling of confusion. That was all his mind was seeming to produce. He had no memory of the past few hours. What the hell was he doing at the Takenouchi Flower Shop? He got to his feet and stumbled to the door, pulling on the handle. It was locked. Somehow he expected that. Somebody had locked him inside here and he

didn't know how or why. He began pounding on the door, wondering if anybody was there, if somebody would here him. "Someone get me out of here!" He yelled, his voice ragged. He felt weak and his knees shook. Had he been drugged? Nothing made sense.

Sora's mother had returned, noticing how her daughter wasn't watching the shop anymore. Angry, she had called her daughter's cell phone, but her call had been ignored. She stood at the counter, wondering why her daughter had left without calling her first. It was unusual of Sora. Normally, she was happy to help. Although she could tell that something had been off about Sora lately. Something was bothering her. Maybe she should have asked. It was then that she heard pounding and screaming; the sounds of somebody needing help. She followed the sounds through the backroom to a storage closet. "Who's in there?" She asked, baffled.

Tai was grateful to hear the familiar voice. Sora's mother. "Mrs. Takenouchi! It's Tai!" He shouted through the door. "Can you get me out of here?" He knew it must be odd for her to find that Tai was in her storage closet. How would he explain this? He didn't even know what had really happened himself.

"Hold on a second," Mrs. Takenouchi replied, going to the front desk to get the key. She returned and opened the door for him. He practically fell out the door. "Tai, what were you doing in there?"

"I wish I knew." He replied, just as confused as she was.

"Do you know where Sora went? She was working and I was out running errands and now she's gone." Her mother asked.

"No, I don't. Look, Mrs. Takenouchi, something weird is going on. I don't know how I got here, but I do know I was unconscious and that there's trouble. I'll contact you as soon as I find Sora, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the Digital World." He explained rapidly. Something clicked in his mind when he mentioned the Digital World. That was the last place he remembered being. He needed to go back there. It was the only connection he had to what had happened to him. Maybe he'd find some answers there.

"Not this again…" Mrs. Takenouchi shook her head. She was hoping all of that was over. "Okay. Just make sure Sora's safe, okay?"

"Will do." He said and ran past her, struggling to keep his footing. He was still weary. Although he didn't know for sure that any of the digidestined were safe. He had a feeling deep in the pits of his stomach that something horrible was going to happen. However, he didn't know that he was going to be the one paying the price.

**A/N: Yay. I feel accomplished. And it's two a.m! But I still feel accomplished! I know what's going to happen next and I could write it now, but I'm too tired. And I believe this is the perfect spot to leave off. Hopefully a new chapter soon. I will definitely not leave you guys in suspense for months and months like I did before. I mean, I last updated in January! That's horrible! It's now July! Anyway, reviews are extremely welcome. I'd love to know what you think and if I still have anybody waiting for updates after the torture of a wait I put you all through!**


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